Connection device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a plug-in connection device for the self-actuating electric connection of a motor vehicle trailer to a towing motor vehicle with a socket (D) and a plug (S), which can be disposed on the motor vehicle trailer (for example the plug S) or the towing motor vehicle (for example socket D), during the coupling of the motor vehicle trailer to the towing motor vehicle can be aligned with respect to one another and can be moved by means of a drive ( 10 ), developed for example as a piston-cylinder configuration, relative to one another between an advanced connection position and a retracted resting position, wherein preferably a cover ( 5 ) of socket (D) can be opened by displacing the contact insert ( 1 ) included in it and bearing the contact sleeves ( 11, 12 ) in the direction of the connection position with the aid of drive ( 10 ) and, when the contact insert ( 1 ) is retracted into the resting position can be closed again, characterized in that the plug (S) is supported such that it is resiliently yielding laterally against the action of a retaining spring ( 213 ).

SPECIFICATION

[0001] The invention relates to a plug-in connection device for the self-actuating, for example multipolar, electric connection of a motor vehicle trailer, in particular a semitrailer, to a towing vehicle, in particular a semitrailer tractor, with a socket and a plug, which can be disposed on the motor vehicle trailer (for example the plug) or the towing vehicle (for example the socket), during the coupling of the motor vehicle trailer to the towing vehicle can be aligned with one another and, by means of a drive, developed for example as a piston-cylinder configuration, can be moved under guidance relative to one another between an advanced connection position and a retracted resting position, where preferably a cover of the socket, by shifting the contact insert received in it and bearing the contact sleeves in the direction of the connection position can be opened self-actuatingly with the aid of the drive and, by retracting the contact insert into the resting position, can be closed again.

[0002] In such a plug-in connection device, which has already been proposed, the coupling position is to be ensured by a sensory device. Due to the large tolerances customary in motor vehicle construction and due to the danger of contamination of the sensors during driving operation, the precise alignment of the plug with respect to the socket, however, is difficult. Self-actuation of the connection process is therefore questionable.

[0003] The present invention addresses the problem of proposing a plug-in connection device of the described type in which without manual actuation a high-level and self-actuating [position]-finding friendliness of the two plug-in elements with respect to one another is given.

[0004] This problem is essentially solved in a plug-in connection device of said type thereby that the plug is supported such that it resiliently yields laterally against the action of a retaining spring.

[0005] The solution according to the invention ensures that the self-actuating guiding-together of plug and socket can be readily and reliably accomplished even in the presence of relatively large tolerances or imprecisions of the sensing.

[0006] In this context it should be said generally that the terms “socket” and “plug” employed in this specification as the two plug-in elements of a plug-in connection device can also be exchanged with one another, i.e. that those characteristics which in the present context described and represented for a socket or plug, can also be conversely provided in the, in each instance, other of the two plug-in elements. Solely for the purpose of simplifying the description the terms “socket” and “plug” are also employed in this sense in the following.

[0007] In order for the plug to return again into the correct starting position after the plug-in connection has been detached, if [the plug], due to an imprecision of the leading-in of the socket, has been laterally deflected, the retaining spring for the plug in a special formation of the invention is developed such that it encompasses the plug housing as a spring spiral, which preferably tapers forwardly in its diameter.

[0008] In further development of the inventive concept the posed problem is solved even better if the plug housing comprises an introduction cone for the socket, since with the aid of the same the socket can be reliably inserted into the plug even with deviations of the alignment due to tolerances.

[0009] The lateral deflection of the plug can be ensured for example in simple manner thereby that the plug housing is supported rearwardly for example via a ball bearing on a retaining plate.

[0010] For further tolerance compensation in the axial direction, it is of advantage if according to a further invention characteristic the retaining plate guided on a fastening flange serving also as mounting flange, is supported on a return spring. In this way a lateral swiveling of the plug housing against the action of the return spring as well as the retaining spring for the plug is ensured.

[0011] To prevent largely the contamination of the contact pins of the plug, but yet to ensure the self-actuating establishment of the plug-in connection, the invention further proposes that the plug housing, including the contact attachment bearing the contact pins, is closed in the resting position by a cover plate for example behind the introduction cone, which cover plate preferably has penetration openings for the contact pins and is movable, in particular slidable, against the action of a return spring from the forward resting position and the release of the contact pins into a rearward connection position. In this way, the self-actuating opening and closing of the plug housing is accomplished through the insertion and pulling-out of the socket itself. In the resting position, thus when not in use, the contact pins are protected. The disposition is preferably made such that in the resting position of the cover plate the contact pins just close off the penetration openings. For that reason, the contact pins can serve as guidance for the cover plate when it is moved back and forth.

[0012] To protect the interior volume of the plug housing, it can further be provided that the cover plate in its resting position is pressed by its return spring on its outer edge, if necessary with the interspacing of a sealing ring, onto an inner shoulder of the plug housing.

[0013] The sealing ring can be held on the front end of a spacer sleeve in the plug.

[0014] To facilitate the mounting, the return spring for the cover plate further as spring spiral can provide the contact attachment and preferably be received with its rearward end in an annular groove.

[0015] According to a further inventive characteristic the plug housing is provided with a stopper including a valve core, which in the installed state points downwardly. In the valve core is provided a baffle (plate), through which condensation water can drip off, however, by which the penetration of water (splash water, steam jets) from the outside is prevented.

[0016] In order for the plug-in connection to be secured in the connection position of plug and socket and the socket be reliably held in the resting position, the drive is latchable in the connection position and/or the resting position of the socket.

[0017] To simplify the mounting and dismounting, the contact insert can be detachably fastened on the piston of the drive developed for example as a pneumatic piston-cylinder configuration, for example with a machine screw.

[0018] In order for the contact sleeves to maintain the correct alignment with respect to the contact pins of the plug, in a further development of the invention the contact insert of the socket is guided torsion-tight on a base plate serving for example also as a mounting plate.

[0019] The base plate can be equipped with a housing portion encompassing the contact insert with ball bodies distributed over its circumference. This achieves that the contact insert is held in two defined positions (starting position=unlatched; function position=latched).

[0020] The plug-in connection device according to the invention can optionally comprise an emergency release, which in the event of power failure permits the mechanical separation of socket and plug, a protection against torsion of the socket, a coding protection of the socket, sensors for the position detection of the socket, a securement of the plug housing against the lifting from the retaining plate and/or snap-in means of the contact insert in the moved-in and moved-out position to increase further the functional security.

[0021] Additional goals, characteristics, advantages and application feasibilities of the present invention are evident based on the following description of embodiment examples in conjunction with the drawing. Therein all described and/or graphically represented characteristics by themselves and in any desired combination form the subject matter of the present invention also independently of their combination in individual claims or their reference back.

IN THE DRAWING DEPICT

[0022]FIG. 1 in a first oblique view an embodiment example of a plug-in connection device according to the invention shortly before the introduction of the socket into the plug,

[0023]FIG. 2 a different oblique view of the plug-in connection device according to FIG. 1,

[0024]FIG. 3 a socket according to the invention in longitudinal section,

[0025]FIG. 3a a side view of the front portion of the socket according to FIG. 3,

[0026]FIG. 4 in longitudinal section a plug according to the invention matching to the socket according to FIG. 3, and

[0027]FIG. 5 in oblique view a different embodiment of plug-in connection device according to the invention.

[0028] The plug-in connection device depicted in the Figures, which can be employed for example in a combination semitrailer/semitrailer tractor and subsequently to be disposed in the region of the semitrailer coupling, comprises for example a plug to be disposed on the motor vehicle trailer and a socket D to be disposed for example on the towing motor vehicle. When coupling the motor vehicle trailer on the towing motor vehicle, plug and socket can be aligned with respect to one another self-actuatingly, which largely takes place with the aid of a sensor configuration which detects the position of the motor vehicle trailer relative to the towing motor vehicle. By means of a drive 10, developed as a piston-cylinder configuration, the two plug-in elements D, S are plugged together. The drive 10 is developed such that it can move the socket D from a retracted resting position, if the plug-in connection is not used, into an advanced connection position, if the plug-in connection is to be established, in which the socket D cooperates with plug S. When detaching the plug-in connection the direction of movement of the socket D is reversed.

[0029] As most clearly evident in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3a, the socket D comprises a cover 5 formed of two flaps. The flaps of cover 5 are pivotably supported on pivot axes 9 of an annular housing portion 16 of a base plate 2 against the action of return springs 4 developed as leg springs, such that when advancing the contact insert guided on the base plate 2 into the connection position, the two flaps of cover 5 always fold toward the outside and when retracting the contact insert 1 into the retracted resting position are again brought into their closure position by means of the return springs 4. For secure sealing, the front end of the contact insert 1 or of the housing portion 16 is provided with a sealing washer 3 on which the flaps of cover 5 in the closed position can be applied. A torsion-tight guidance of the contact insert 1 takes place on the housing portion 16 with the aid of an outer longitudinal slot 14 in the shell of the contact insert 1 and an associated inner longitudinal rib 15 of the housing portion 16. The contact insert 1 is detachably fastened with the aid of a socket head machine screw 6 on the front end of piston 17 of the piston-cylinder configuration 10. A cable 7 for supplying the contact insert 1 is molded into the base plate 2 and tension-relieved by means of a clamp 13. The housing portion 16 of the base plate 2 bears distributed over its outer circumference radially projecting ball bodies 8, which serve for retaining the contact insert 1 in two defined positions (starting position=unlatched; function position=latched).

[0030] Drive 10 is latched in the advanced connection position as well as also in the retracted resting position of socket D in order to secure socket D in both positions against position changes.

[0031] For tolerance compensation of the orientation of the two plug-in elements with respect to each other, the plug S is supported against the action of a retaining spring 230 [sic: 213] such that it resiliently yields laterally. The retaining spring 213 for plug S is developed as a spring spiral encompassing the plug housing 29, which, developed as a double-helical spring, is secured with its rearward free ends 33 on a fastening flange 210, which can also serve as a mounting flange. The retaining spring 213 tapers in the forward direction in terms of diameter in order to provide it with the requisite return characteristic.

[0032] The plug housing 29 is equipped at its front end with an introduction cone 30 for socket D, in order to compensate alignment tolerances. In addition, the plug housing 29 is supported via ball bearings 26 on a retaining plate 27 in order to permit the lateral yielding against the action of the retaining spring 213.

[0033] The plug housing 29 receives a contact attachment 28 bearing a contact pin 21, 22. In the resting position depicted in FIG. 4 the plug housing 29 is closed with a cover plate 23, which comprises for example penetration openings for the contact pins 21, 22, which, in the resting position, just closes the penetration openings. The cover plate 23 is pressed by a return spring 211 with an outer collar by interspacing a sealing ring 24 developed as an oil-seal ring onto an inner shoulder 31 of the plug housing 29. The return spring 211 is developed as a spring spiral, which is seated on the contact attachment 28 and with its rearward end is held in a circumferential groove 32 of the contact attachment 28. The cover plate 23 is concave at the front and specifically in adaptation to the convex development of the front end of socket D (cf. FIG. 3) such that an additional centering for the introduction of socket D into plug S takes place. The sealing ring 24 is retained on the front end of a spacer sleeve 25 in the plug housing 29. The cable 214 for the contact attachment 28 is molded with the contact attachment 28 and the plug housing 29.

[0034] The retaining plate 27, on which is supported the plug housing 29 with the contact attachment 28, is axially displaceably supported in a fastening flange 210, which can also serve as a mounting flange, axially against the action of a return spring 212. The plug S can therefore resiliently yield backwardly when the socket is plugged into socket D, in order to compensate impacts and/or tolerances. The return spring 212 is also developed as a spring spiral, which at its front end receives in an annular groove 35 the retaining plate 27 and at its rearward end in an annular groove 36 of a stationary transverse plate 37 of the fastening flange 210. In the resting position the retaining plate 27 is at the front in contact on stops 38 of fastening flange 210 under pressure of the reset spring 212.

[0035] The plug housing 29 is equipped with a stopper 216 including a valve core and in the installed state pointing downwardly, in order to allow through a baffle (plate) developed in the valve core condensation water to drip off, however, to prevent the penetration of water (splash water, vapor jets) from the outside.

[0036] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 of a plug-in connection device according to the invention of socket D and plug S, reference is made to the following peculiarities: on the contact insert 1 is disposed an emergency release 310, which during system failure ensures that the components of the plug-in connection device can be mechanically separated from one another. A synthetic material absorber for the outgoing cable 217 serves simultaneously as a protection against torsion and coding protection 311 of socket D. In socket D further two sensors 312 are introduced, which detect the two positions of socket D (retracted and advanced). On plug housing 29 are attached laterally projecting ribs, which serve as lifting securement 313, i.e. as mechanical securement of the plug housing 29 against lifting from the retaining plate, while the socket D is pulled from plug S. Instead of the ball snap-in 8 the snap-in of socket D in the retracted and in the advanced position takes place by means of a snap-in means 313 developed as a spring latch.

[0037] List of Reference Symbols

[0038]1 Contact insert

[0039]2 Base plate

[0040]3 Sealing washer for cover 5

[0041]4 Return spring (leg springs) for cover 5

[0042]5 Cover

[0043]6 Socket head machine screw

[0044]7 Cable

[0045]8 Ball body

[0046]9 Pivot axes of cover 5

[0047]10 Piston-cylinder configuration (torsion-tight)

[0048]11 Contact sleeve

[0049]12 Contact sleeve

[0050]13 Tension-relief clamp

[0051]14 Groove

[0052]15 Rib

[0053]16 Housing portion

[0054]17 Piston

[0055]21 Contact pin

[0056]22 Contact pin

[0057]23 Cover plate

[0058]24 Sealing ring

[0059]25 Spacer sleeve

[0060]26 Ball bearings

[0061]27 Retaining plate

[0062]28 Contact attachment

[0063]29 Plug housing

[0064]30 Introduction cone

[0065]31 Inner shoulder

[0066]32 Annular groove

[0067]33 Ends of retaining spring 213

[0068]34 Collar

[0069]35 Annular groove

[0070]36 Annular groove

[0071]37 Transverse plate

[0072]38 Stops

[0073]210 Fastening flange (mounting flange)

[0074]211 Return spring for cover plate 23

[0075]212 Return spring for retaining plate 27

[0076]213 Retaining spring (spring spiral)

[0077]214 Cable

[0078]215 Valve core

[0079]216 Stopper

[0080]217 Cable

[0081]310 Emergency release

[0082]311 Protection against torsion/coding protection

[0083]312 Sensors

[0084]313 Protection against lifting

[0085]314 Snap-in means

[0086] D Socket

[0087] S Plug 

1. Plug-in connection device for the self-actuating, for example multipolar, electric connection of a motor vehicle trailer, in particular a semitrailer, to a towing motor vehicle, in particular a semitrailer tractor, with a socket (D) and a plug (S), which can be disposed on the motor vehicle trailer (for example the plug S) or the towing motor vehicle (for example socket D), during the coupling of the motor vehicle trailer to the towing motor vehicle can be aligned with respect to one another and can be moved by means of a drive (10), developed for example as a piston-cylinder configuration, relative to one another between an advanced connection position and a retracted resting position, wherein preferably a cover (5) of socket (D) can be opened by displacing the contact insert (1) included in it and bearing the contact sleeves (11, 12) in the direction of the connection position with the aid of drive (10) and, when the contact insert (1) is retracted into the resting position, can be closed again, characterized in that the plug (S) is supported such that it is resiliently yielding laterally against the action of a retaining spring (213).
 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the retaining spring (213) for the plug (S) is developed as a spring spiral encompassing the plug housing (29) and whose diameter preferably tapers in the forward direction.
 3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plug housing (29) comprises an introduction cone (30) for the socket (D).
 4. Device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the plug housing (29) is supported rearwardly, for example via ball bearings (26), on a retaining plate (27).
 5. Device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the retaining plate (27) guided on a fastening flange (210), also serving as a mounting flange, for the plug housing (29) is supported on a return spring (212).
 6. Device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the plug housing (29) including the contact attachment (28) bearing the contact pins (21, 22), for example behind the introduction cone (30), in the resting position is closed with a cover plate (23), which preferably has penetration openings for the contact pins (21, 22) and which can be moved against the action of a return spring (211) from the forward resting position with the release of the contact pins (21, 22) into a rearward connection position.
 7. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover plate (23) in the resting position is pressed by its return spring (211) on its outer margin, if necessary with the interspacing of a sealing ring (24), onto an inner should (31) of the plug housing (29).
 8. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing ring (24) is held on the forward end of a spacer sleeve (25) in the plug housing (29).
 9. Device as claimed in one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the return spring (211) for the cover plate (23) encompasses as a spring spiral the contact attachment (28).
 10. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plug housing (29) comprises a stopper (216) including a valve core (215), in order to allow condensation water to drip off, however prevents the penetration of water from the outside.
 11. Device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the drive (10) in the connection position and/or the resting position of the socket (D) can be latched.
 12. Device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the contact insert (1) is detachably fastened on piston (17) of the drive (10) developed for example as a pneumatic piston-cylinder configuration.
 13. Device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the contact insert (1) of socket (D) is guided torsion-tight on a base plate (2) serving for example also as a mounting plate.
 14. Device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the base plate (2) on a housing portion (16) encompassing the contact insert at least partially is equipped with ball bodies (8) distributed over its circumference, which are suited for securing the contact insert (1) in two positions.
 15. Device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by an emergency release (310) which during power failure permits the mechanical separation of socket (D) and plug (S), a protection against torsion (311) of the socket (D), a coding protection (311) or [sic: of] socket (D), sensors (312) for the position detection of socket (D), a securement (313) of the plug housing (29) against lifting from the retaining plate (27) and/or snap-in means (314) of the contact insert (1) in the retracted and advanced position. 